Alfredo Bowman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Alfredo Darrington Bowman[1] 26 November 1933[2] Ilanga, Honduras[1] |
| Died | 6 August 2016 (aged 82) Barrio Ingles La Ceiba, Honduras |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Occupation(s) | Herbalist,[2] witch doctor[2][3][4] |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 22[6] |
Alfredo Darrington Bowman (26 November 1933 – 6 August 2016),[2] also known as Dr. Sebi (/seɪbiː/), was a controversial Honduran herbalist, who also practiced in the United States in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Bowman falsely claimed to cure all disease with herbs and a plant-based alkaline diet based on various pseudoscientific claims, and denied that HIV caused AIDS. He set up a treatment center in Honduras, then moved his practice to New York City and Los Angeles. Numerous entertainment and acting celebrities were among his clients, including Michael Jackson, Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, and John Travolta.[7]
Although he used the title and name Dr. Sebi, Bowman had not completed any formal medical training. He was considered a quack by licensed doctors, attorneys, and consumer protection agencies in the United States. He was arrested and accused by New York state of practicing medicine without a license. After trial, Bowman was acquitted based on the legal definition of "medicine" for his herbs. He was later charged in a civil suit that resulted in him being prohibited from making therapeutic claims for his supplements.[8]
In May 2016, Bowman was arrested in Honduras for money laundering, after being found carrying tens of thousands of dollars in cash with insufficient accounting for its origin. During several weeks' detention in jail, he contracted pneumonia. He died in police custody as he was being transported to a hospital.
- ^ a b Shah Be Allah (8 August 2016). "Dr. Sebi Dies In Police Custody In Honduras". The Source. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Alfredo Bowman, celebrity herbalist – obituary". The Telegraph. 23 August 2016. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- ^ "Jacko Sees Witch Doctor". Standard. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ "Jacko's New 'Doctor': No Scrubs, No Diploma". Fox News. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ Patsy Bowman (2017). Holistic Healing. Trinidad & Tobago: Good Morning T&T. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 18 February 2018 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Journey to the center of the sea moss universe. You'll see Dr. Sebi is alive in L.A." Los Angeles Times. 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
- ^ "Conspiracy theories spread after Nipsey Hussle shooting". BBC News. 2019-04-02. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
- ^ Barrett, Stephen (16 August 2016). "A Skeptical Look at the Late "Dr. Sebi"". quackwatch.org. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2019.